Machine fluid condition monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A sight glass column is described. The sight glass column is configured to be indirectly attachable to a machine via a machine connector such that machine fluid is transferable from the machine to the sight glass column. The sight glass column further has a remote sensing port, and a lockable oil level ring.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/134,219 filed Apr. 20, 2016, which claims priority of theprovisional patent application filed on Apr. 20, 2015 and identified byU.S. Ser. No. 62/150,089. The entire contents of the patent applicationsreferenced above are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses formonitoring machine fluids, such as lubricants in machinery. Moreparticularly, but not by way of limitation, the disclosure relates toapparatuses adapted for easy access, testing, and monitoring of machinefluids in a fluid reservoir such as a machine fluid storage container,or within machinery, such as, but not limited to, oil withinmanufacturing equipment.

BACKGROUND

Most machines used in manufacturing and other industries require machinefluids for lubrication and function of machine components. Exemplarymachine fluids include lubricants and oils which may be based uponhydrocarbon, synthetic and/or petroleum based products. Other types ofmachine fluids include hydraulic fluids. The machine fluids typicallymust be maintained within a preferred range of composition andcleanliness for efficient performance of the machine. For example, whenoil is used as a machine fluid, the unwanted addition of water or debrismay cause the machine to loose efficiency or sustain damage.

Typically, machine fluids are monitored through the collection andanalysis of samples of the machine fluid. However, some current samplingand monitoring processes are inefficient, time consuming, and costly.For example, sampling may be taken from the bottom of the sump ofmachines (e.g., from drain ports), which can mix the lubricant withsediment making effective oil monitoring difficult. A sample port, abottom sediment and water bowl, a sight glass column (collectivelyreferred to herein as machine fluid equipment) can be connected to thedrain port and used for various purposes. One or more T-pipe connectorsmay be used to connect multiples of the machine fluid equipment to thedrain port. However, various problems exist with respect to conventionalmachine fluid equipment, and the manner in which it is used.

For example, T-pipe connectors space the machine fluid equipment awayfrom the drain port and the machine increasing the likelihood that themachine fluid equipment will take up costly space within a facilityand/or will be unintentionally impacted and damaged. The use of multipleT-pipe connectors also makes it difficult for fluid to flow easilybetween the sight glasses and the machine. Consequently, sight glassesattached using multiple T-pipe connectors end up showing stagnantmachine fluid rather than the actual fluid interfacing the criticalcomponents of the machine.

Sight glass columns made of glass or plastic that is transparent tovisible light are used for oil level measurements. Oil level rings havebeen placed on the sight glass columns to mark upper and lower limitsfor oil level. Conventional oil level rings, however, are easy to tamperwith or can be unintentionally moved by gravity or vibration, thusresulting in errors in managing oil level and the potential for machinefailure. Sight glass columns are typically cylindrical in shape. Thecylindrical shape of the sight glass column distorts light passingthrough the sight glass column which reduces the clarity at which themachine fluid can be observed.

The bottom sediment and water bowls typically have a flat bottom with adrain port to receive a drain valve. In some versions, the conventionalbottom sediment and water bowls have a magnet at the bottom which isused to determine if any particles of ferrous material are locatedwithin the machine fluid. In practice, the flat bottoms of theconventional bottom sediment and water bowls developed a layer of sludgeat the bottom, which is difficult to remove. Further, the layer ofsludge can cover the magnet thereby obscuring any ferrous material thatthe magnet has been able to capture.

In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for improvementsin machine fluid equipment to enhance the ability of users to monitorthe condition of the machine fluid. It is to such improved machine fluidequipment that the presently disclosed inventive concepts are directed.

SUMMARY

Apparatuses are disclosed that facilitate efficient monitoring and/orsampling of a machine fluid within a machine or fluid reservoir such asa machine fluid storage container. The problem of inefficient couplingof multiple machine fluid equipment is addressed by a hub having afitting, such as a reducer that is inset into a body having multipleports. The problems with respect to conventional sight glassesdistorting the light are addressed by a sight glass having a remotesensing port. The remote sensing port may have a substantially flatinner and/or outer surface that may be spaced a uniform distance apart.The remote sensing port may be composed of material and be of a shapesuitable for a laser to pass through, with minimal distortion andreflection. The problems associated with the conventional oil levelrings is addressed by an oil level ring that is provided with a band anda locking device to permit the oil level ring to be placed at a desiredlocation on the site glass column and then to securely lock the oillevel ring in position. The problems associated with the conventionalbottom sediment and water bowls is addressed with a bottom sediment andwater bowl having a tapered bottom and an indicator, such as a magnet,suspended above the tapered bottom so as to prevent any interferencewith sludge accumulating at the bottom of the bottom sediment and waterbowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate one or more implementationsdescribed herein and, together with the description, explain theseimplementations. The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale, andcertain features and certain views of the figures may be shownexaggerated, to scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity andconciseness. Not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Likereference numerals in the figures may represent and refer to the same orsimilar element or function. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an exemplary machine fluidcondition monitoring system constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure and configured to be mounted to a port of a machine havingmachine fluid to be monitored such that a machine fluid within themachine enters into the machine fluid condition monitoring system and isvisible to a person monitoring the condition of the machine fluid.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the exemplary machine fluidcondition monitoring system depicted in FIG. 1 and constructed inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of an exemplary hub constructed inaccordance with the present disclosure of the machine fluid conditionmonitoring system.

FIG. 3B is a front, exploded, perspective view of the exemplary hub.

FIG. 4 is a rear, exploded, perspective view of the exemplary hubdepicted in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a body of the hub depicted in FIG.3A taken along lines 5-5 thereof, and a side elevational view of asample port assembly of the hub depicted in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 6A is a side perspective view of a sight glass in accordance withthe present disclosure.

FIG. 6B is a front elevation view of the sight glass of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of a portion of a sight glass columnhaving a plurality of level rings constructed in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of a band of a level ring constructedin accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sight glass taken along line 7-7in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of an exemplary bottom sediment andwater bowl in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of a bowl member of the bottomsediment and water bowl of FIG. 8A taken along the lines 8B-8B thereof,and also a side-elevational view of a drain valve supported by the bowlmember.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bowl member of the bottomsediment and water bowl of FIG. 8A taken along the lines 9-9 thereof.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a bottomsediment and water bowl constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a bowl member of the bottom sedimentand water bowl of FIG. 10 .

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a knob constructed in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the sameor similar elements.

The mechanisms proposed in this disclosure circumvent the problemsdescribed above. The present disclosure describes an exemplary machinefluid condition monitoring system for monitoring and/or sampling amachine fluid using a sight glass at least partially constructed of amaterial that is transparent to light within a visible region.

In one embodiment, a sight glass at least partially constructed of amaterial that is transparent to light within a visible region has one ormore remote sensing ports constructed of a material that is transparentto light within a visible region.

DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely forconvenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concept. Thisdescription should be read to include one or more and the singular alsoincludes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Further, use of the term “plurality” is meant to convey “more than one”unless expressly stated to the contrary.

Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment.

As discussed above, current systems for monitoring and sampling machinelubricants are inefficient, costly, and time consuming. The presentdisclosure addresses these deficiencies, in one embodiment, with anapparatus for monitoring and sampling machine liquids comprising a sightglass assembly having a sight glass at least partially constructed oftransparent material and having one or more ports for multiplemonitoring functions.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 ,shown therein is an exemplary machine fluid condition monitoring system10 constructed in accordance with the present disclosure and mounted toa port (not shown) of a machine 12 having machine fluid 14 to bemonitored such that the machine fluid 14 within the machine 12 entersinto the machine fluid condition monitoring system 10 and is visible toa person monitoring the condition of the machine fluid 14. In general,the machine fluid condition monitoring system 10 includes a hub 16, asight glass 20, and a bottom sediment and water bowl 24. The sight glass20 is connected to and supported by the hub 16 and extends away from thehub 16, generally in an upward direction. Although the machine fluidcondition monitoring system 10 will be described herein in conjunctionwith the machine 12, it should be understood that the machine fluidcondition monitoring system 10 can be used with any fluid reservoir,such as a machine fluid storage container. As will be discussed in moredetail below, the sight glass 20 may be provided with a remote sensingport 18 to enhance the readability of the sight glass 20 as compared toconventional cylindrical sight glasses. In some embodiments, the machine12 or fluid reservoir may include a housing 30 with a port sized,dimensioned, and located to either overlap with, or be beneath a level,e.g., a predetermined preferred level, of the machine fluid 14 withinthe housing 30. For example, the port within the housing 30 of themachine 12 may be a drain port. The port is not limited to the drainport, but can be any port on a machine or reservoir that could benefitfrom having multiple ports. The hub 16 may be connected to the housing30 of the machine 12 so as to provide fluid communication between thedrain port and the sight glass 20 and the bottom sediment and water bowl24, as will be discussed in more detail below. The bottom sediment andwater bowl 24 is connected to and supported by the hub 16 and extendsaway from the hub 16 generally in a downwardly direction.

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of the exemplary hub 16 constructedin accordance with the present disclosure of the machine fluid conditionmonitoring system 10. In general, the hub 16 includes a fitting 32, anda body 34. The fitting 32 is configured to be connected to the housing30 of the machine 12 so as to provide fluid communication through theport of the machine 12. As shown in FIG. 4 , the fitting 32 may beprovided with a first tubular projection 38, a flange 40, and a secondtubular projection 42. The flange 40 may be positioned between the firsttubular projection 38 and the second tubular projection 42 and serves tostabilize the body 34 when the body 34 is connected to the fitting 32,as well as to provide a mechanism for connecting the body 34 to thefitting. As will be described below, the flange 40 can be provided withpolygonal shape, e.g., a hex shape, and used to tighten the fitting ontothe machine 12 using a wrench, for example. The first tubular projection38 is configured to be connected to the port of the machine 12. Once thefirst tubular projection 38 is connected to the port of the machine 12,then the body 34 may be placed on the second tubular projection 42 andthen secured to the flange 40 as discussed in more detail below.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the first tubular projection 38 may be providedwith external threads that are adapted to mate with internal threadsprovided on the port of the machine 12. As will be understood by oneskilled in the art, the port of the machine 12 may be provided withvarious sizes and/or threading configurations and therefore the firsttubular projection 38 may also be provided in various sizes withmultiple thread options so as to matingly engage with internal threadson the port.

The body 34 is provided with a first end 44, second end 46, an outerwall 48 extending between the first end 44 and the second end 46, and amedial wall 50 positioned between the first end 44 and the second end46. The medial wall 50 extends inwardly from the outer wall 48 such thatthe outer wall 48 and the medial wall 50 define a first cavity 52adjacent to the first end 44, and a second cavity 54 adjacent to thesecond end 46. The outer wall 48 is provided with an outer surface 56and an inner surface 58. As best shown in FIG. 5 , the outer wall 48 isalso provided with a lateral port section 60, and a receiver section 62.The lateral port section 60 is positioned in between the receiversection 62 and the medial wall 50. The lateral port section 60 and thereceiver section 62 may be tubular in configuration so as to surroundand provide boundaries of the first cavity 52 within the body 34.Further, the lateral port section 60 may be provided with a firstthickness 64, and the receiver section 62 may be provided with a secondthickness 66 which is less than the first thickness 64. The lateral portsection 60 may be provided with a shoulder 68 extending inwardly withrespect to the receiver section 62 and located at an intersection of thereceiver section 62 and the lateral port section 60.

The receiver section 62 may be shaped to matingly receive the flange 40of the fitting 32 into the first cavity 52 until the flange 40 contactsthe shoulder 68, and the lateral port section 60 may be shaped tomatingly receive the second tubular projection 42 of the fitting 32 intothe first cavity 52. As shown in FIG. 5 , the fitting 32 isnested/concealed within the body 34 of the hub 16. This allows for asmaller/shorter overall length of the hub 16 without compromisingfunction or installation and also creates a more seamless appearance. Soas to prevent leakage of machine fluids 14, one or more O-rings 69 maybe provided within the lateral port section 60 generally adjacent to theshoulder 68 so as to engage and form a fluid tight seal with the secondtubular projection 42. In one embodiment, the second tubular projection42 may be provided with a smooth, cylindrically shaped outer surface.

In one embodiment, the flange 40 of the fitting 32 may be shaped so asto be received into the receiver section 62 in more than one position soas to permit adjustment of a position of the body 34 relative to thefitting 32 in a controlled and secured manner. For example, the flange40 may be constructed with an octagonal shape so that the flange 40 canbe positioned within the receiver section 62 in 8 distinct positionswith each position being angularly located 45° apart. In otherembodiments, the flange 40 may be provided with other shapes, so as tobe positionable within the receiver section 62 at more than 8 angularpositions or less than 8 angular positions. For example, the flange 40may be provided with any shape to accommodate any type of wrench, suchas a fixed wrench, an adjustable wrench, or a spanner wrench so that thewrench can be used to tighten the fitting 32 onto the machine 12. In oneembodiment, the flange 40 is shaped in the form of a hexagon or adecagon.

Once positioned within the receiver section 62, the fitting 32 may besecured within the body 34 in a variety of manners. For example, inaccordance with the present disclosure the hub 16 is provided with aplurality of bolts 70 and the body 34 is provided with a plurality ofholes 72 extending through the medial wall 50 for receiving the bolts 70and permitting the bolts 70 to engage the flange 40. For purposes ofclarity, only one of the bolts 70 and the holes 72 has been labeled inFIG. 1 . The plurality of holes 72 may be formed in a first pattern, andthe flange 40 may be provided with a series of holes 74 in a secondpattern. In the example shown, the flange is provided with eight holes74, but only two of the holes 74 have been labeled for purposes ofclarity. The first pattern and the second pattern may be related suchthat holes 72 within the first pattern are aligned with certain ones ofthe holes 74 in the second pattern at each of the positions in which theflange 40 can be disposed within the receiver section 62.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the body 34 is also provided with a longitudinalaxis 76. The lateral port section 60 of the body 34 is provided with aplurality of ports 78 extending from the inner surface 58 to the outersurface 56. In the example shown, the ports 78 are labeled as 78-1,78-2, 78-3, and 78-4 for purposes of clarity. In one embodiment, each ofthe ports 78 is located equidistant from the longitudinal axis 76, andspaced apart angularly from each other an angular equidistant amount. Inthe example shown, the port 78-1 is located at 0°, the port 78-2 islocated at 90°, the port 78-3 is located at 180°, and the port 78-4 islocated at 270°. Although the example has the lateral port section 60provided with 4 ports 78-1, 78-2, 78-3, and 78-4 spaced apart at 90°, itshould be understood that the lateral port section 60 could be providedwith more or less than 4 ports 78-1, 78-2, 78-3, and 78-4 and that suchports 78-1, 78-2, 78-3, and 78-4 may or may not be angularlyequidistant.

The ports 78 can be used to connect static machine fluid equipment, suchas the sight glass 20 and the bottom sediment and water bowl 24 to thebody 34. Other types of static and dynamic machine fluid equipmentincluding sensors, lights, quick connects, sight glasses, filter carts,particle counters, condition monitoring equipment and the like can alsobe connected to the ports 78. For example, a dynamic device, e.g., apump can pull machine fluid 14 from one of the ports 78, and then returnthe machine fluid 14 to another one of the ports 78. The first cavity 52and the ports 78 serve to establish fluid communication from the port ofthe machine 12 to the machine fluid equipment. In the example depictedin FIG. 1 , the sight glass 20 is connected to the port 78-1, and thebottom sediment and water bowl 24 is connected to the port 78-3.

The ports 78 can be designed to connect to the machine fluid equipmentusing any suitable connection methodology. For example, the ports 78 canbe threaded, or can be provided with quick connect structure, or thelike. The hub 16 can be provided with one or more plugs 80 to seal anyunused ports 78. For example, a plug 80 is shown in FIG. 3A sealing theport 78-4.

The hub 16 may also be provided with one or more sample port assembly82, and one or more pilot tube 84 connected to the sample port assembly82. In the example shown, the hub 16 is provided with one sample portassembly 82 extending through the medial wall 50 and positionedcoaxially on the longitudinal axis 76. The outer wall 48 serves as ashield to protect sensitive equipment/hardware/fittings, e.g., thesample port assembly 82 from impacts without inhibiting access. In someembodiments, the second cavity 54 is large enough so that a hand can beused to access the sample port assembly 82. The pilot tube 84 extendsfrom the sample port assembly 82 along the longitudinal axis 76 beyondthe first end 44 of the body 34. The sample port assembly 82 may have afirst end 86 and a second end 88, an inside surface (not shown) and anoutside surface 90 from the first end 86 to the second end 88 forming asealable access pathway whereby one or more samples of the machine fluid14 are accessible. In one embodiment, the sample port assembly 82 mayinclude a valve 94 to aid the user in drawing the machine fluid 14 outof the machine 12 through the pilot tube 84 and the sample port assembly82.

The sample port assembly 82 may be utilized to pull a sample of themachine fluid 14 from the machine 12 from a preferred location in themachine 12. For example, the pilot tube 84 may be connected to the firstend 86 of the sample port assembly 82. The pilot tube 84 may be a tubeof sufficient length and shape to obtain machine fluid 14 from apreferred location in the machine 12 to the sample port assembly 82. Thepilot tube 84 may be constructed of a bendable material so that theinstaller may bend the pilot tube 84 to place the inlet of the pilottube 84 at a desired location, and preferably away from any sludge. Thepreferred location may be near active flow of the machine fluid 14 so asto access a sample reflective of actual conditions within the machine12. The sample of machine fluid 14 may be analyzed for composition,cleanliness, moisture content, and so on, to determine if the machinefluid 14 and/or the machine 12 are in a preferred range for efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the sample port assembly 82 may be at least 75%recessed within the body 34. For example, the medial wall 50 may have aconcave (or other) shape adjacent to the second end 46. In this example,the sample port assembly 82 is attached to a section of the medial wall50 that is spaced a distance from the second end 46 so that the sampleport assembly 82 is recessed within the body 34. Thus, the outer wall 48acts as a shield to assist in protecting the sample port assembly 82from inadvertent damage.

As one skilled in the art will understand, the body 34 can be made ofaluminum or other material so as to provide structural support for themachine fluid equipment that may be attached to the ports 78. The body34 can also be constructed of a transparent material, that is capable ofproviding structural support and is also capable of passing visiblelight so that a user can see the machine fluid 14 through the body 34.In other embodiments, the body 34 can be made of multiple types ofmaterial so as to provide additional functionality to the body 34. Forexample, the body 34 can be constructed of a frame constructed of anopaque material such as aluminum but having the medial wall 50constructed of a transparent material so that a user can see the machinefluid 14 through the medial wall 50. In one embodiment, the outer wall48 may be provided with a cylindrical shape.

FIG. 6A is a side perspective view of the sight glass 20 in accordancewith the present disclosure. FIG. 6B is a front elevation view of thesight glass 20 of FIG. 6A and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of thesight glass 20 taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6A. The sight glass 20 maybe provided with a first end 100, and a second end 102 which are bothopen and provide access to a cavity surrounded by the sight glass 20.The sight glass 20 may also be provided with a first connector 104extending from the first end 100 towards the second end 102, and a firstraised portion 106 positioned adjacent to the first connector 104. Thesight glass 20 may also be provided with a second connector 108extending from the second end 102 towards the first end 100, and asecond raised portion 110 positioned adjacent to the second connector108. The first connector 104 and the second connector 108 may beprovided with any configuration to be indirectly attachable to themachine 12 via a machine connector, such as the hub 16. In oneembodiment, the first connector and the second connector 104 and 108 areconfigured to connect to one of the ports 78 of the body 34. Forexample, the first connector 104 and the second connector 108 may beexternally threaded so as to matingly engage with internal threads ofthe ports 78. In another embodiment, the first connector 104 and thesecond connector 108 may be configured as male parts of a quick connectassembly. The first raised portion 106 and the second raised portion 110are configured to facilitate installation of the sight glass 20 onto theports 78 or other suitable device. In one embodiment, the first raisedportion 106 and the second raised portion 110 may be configured as a hexnut to receive a wrench and facilitate installation of the sight glass20.

The sight glass 20 can be constructed of a high impact, chemicallyresistant and crystal-clear material that can pass visible light, suchas acrylic or glass. In one embodiment, the sight glass 20 is integrallyformed as a unitary structure using a molding process and in thisinstance, the first connector 104, the second connector 108, the firstraised portion 106 and the second raised portion 110 may be moldedfeatures of the sight glass 20. The sight glass 20 may have a lengthextending between the first end 100 and the second end 102. The lengthcan be provided in a variety of sizes such as 3″, 6″, 9″, 12″ and 18″.

The sight glass 20 may also be provided with a viewing portion 112 whichmay be located between the first raised portion 106 and the secondraised portion 110. The sight glass 20 may have a sidewall 120 extendingwithin the viewing portion 112 and between the first end 100 and thesecond end 102. The sight glass 20 may also be provided with a pluralityof level rings 121 a and 121 b positioned on and surrounding thesidewall 120. The level rings 121 a and 121 b may also intersect theviewing portion 112 so as to represent a maximum level and a minimumlevel of the machine fluid 14 within the machine 12. The level rings 121a and 121 b may be sized and constructed to matingly and to grippinglyengage the sidewall 120 so as to permit a user to selectively place andmaintain the level rings 121 a and 121 b at desired locations on thesidewall 120. The level rings 121 a and 121 b can be constructed of anymaterial that is capable of matingly and grippingly engage in thesidewall 120. For example the level rings can be made of any flexiblematerial, (with or without elastomeric properties) such as a polymer ora metal. Further, in some embodiments, the level rings 121 a and 121 bcan be constructed so as to be highly visible to the user. For example,the level rings 121 a and 121 b can be provided with various colors suchas red and green. In addition, the level ring 121 a can be coloreddifferently than the level ring 121 b. The sidewall 120 may have atubular shape and have an inner surface 122 and an outer surface 124 andmay also have at least one remote sensing port 18 positioned on thesidewall 120 and extending between the inner surface 122 and the outersurface 124 between the first raised portion 106 and the second raisedportion 110. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 7 , thesight glass 20 has one remote sensing port 18, however, it should beunderstood that more than one remote sensing port 18 can be provided. Ofcourse, it will be understood that the sight glass 20 may have more thanone remote sensing port 18, and that the remote sensing port(s) 18 maybe located in different positions in the sight glass 20.

The sidewall 120 may have a cylindrical cross-section outside of theremote sensing port 18 as shown in FIG. 7 . The remote sensing port 18may have a substantially flat outer face 132 on the outer surface 124and/or a substantially flat inner face 134 on the inner surface 122 ofthe sight glass 20. In one embodiment, the flat outer face 132 is asecant of the outer surface 124 of the sight glass 20, and the flatinner face 134 is a secant of the inner surface 122 of the sight glass20. In use, the substantially flat outer and inner faces 132, 134decrease distortion in comparison to the curved surface of the remainderof the viewing portion 112 of the sight glass 20. Additionally, thesubstantially flat outer face 132 may aid a user in applying a laserand/or light device to the sight glass 20 and machine fluid 14 insidethe sight glass 20.

Shown in FIG. 6 c is a second embodiment of a set of level rings 136constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. In the presentexample, the set of level rings 136 includes two level rings, however itshould be understood that the set of level rings 136 can include onelevel ring 136, or more than two level rings 136, e.g., 3, 4, or 5 levelrings 136. Each of the level rings 136 may be identical in constructionand function with the exception that each level ring 136 may be providedwith a distinct color. The level ring 136 is provided with a band 138(having a generally accurate shape) and a locking device 139. The band138 is provided with a first end 140 and a second end 141. The band 138may be sized and constructed to matingly and to grippingly engage thesidewall 120 so as to permit a user to move the locking device 139 to afirst position in which the band 138 may be selectively placed at adesired location on the sidewall 120, and move the locking device 139 toa second position in which the band 138 is maintained at the desiredlocation. In some embodiments, the locking device 139 engages the firstend 140 and the second end 141 of the band 138 and serves to set thepositions of the first end 140 relative to the second end 141. Forexample, the locking device 139 can be a screw having a head 142engaging the first end 140 and a threaded shaft 143 positioned in andengaging the second end 141. In this example, a portion of the threadedshaft 143 extends between the first end 140 and the second end 141.

As shown in FIG. 6D, the band 138 has an upper edge 145, a lower edge146, an inner surface 147, and an outer surface 148, and wherein theouter surface 148 tapers towards the inner surface 147 adjacent to theupper edge 145 and the lower edge 146 to make it harder for the band 138to be gripped by a user. Tapering the outer surface 148 at the upperedge 145 and the lower edge 146 also reduces the occurrence ofunintentional movement of the level ring 136 when the locking device 139is in the second position, and prevents debris from building up on thelevel ring 136 and obstructing a view of the machine fluid 14. In someembodiments, the inner surface 147 can have a planar cross-section andbe non-tapered to increase surface area contact with the sight glass 20.

To facilitate the addition/removal of the level ring 136 to the sidewall120, the first end 140 may be provided with a slot 144 having a widthgreater than a width of the threaded shaft 143. To add the level ring136 to the sidewall 120, the screw is placed in the first position andthen the band 138 is wrapped around the sidewall 120 at the desiredlocation. In this position, the threaded shaft 143 is moved into theslot 144 and then moved to the second position so as to lock the band138 on to the sidewall 120 at the desired location. To remove the levelring 136 from the sidewall 120, the screw is placed in the firstposition to release tension within the band 138, and then the threadedshaft 143 is moved out of the slot 144. Once the threaded shaft 143 hasbeen moved out of the slot 144, the band 138 can be removed from thesidewall 120. The band 138 can be constructed of any suitable flexiblematerial such as plastic or metal. Although the locking device 139 hasbeen shown and described by way of example as the screw, it should beunderstood that the locking device 139 can be constructed in othermanners.

The remote sensing port 18 may be composed of the same material as thesurrounding material of the sight glass 20 and/or of one or morematerials having optical properties different than the surroundingmaterial of the sight glass 20. For example, the material of the remotesensing port 18 may minimize distortion, minimize reflection, and/ormagnify the contents of the sight glass 20. The remote sensing port 18may be used as a viewing window for a user to visually examine themachine fluid 14 or other material in the sight glass 20 with or withoutthe use of an instrument, such as a camera or photo-spectrometer. Forexample, the remote sensing port 18 may be composed of material havingoptical properties that allow a laser to pass through the remote sensingport 18 with minimal distortion and reflection. The laser may be used tomeasure properties of the fluid inside the sight glass 20.

In one embodiment, the remote sensing port 18 may have a shape conduciveto magnification. In this instance, the remote sensing port 18 may beprovided with a convex outer face (not shown) and a convex inner face(not shown) to provide a substantially undistorted magnification of auser's view of the machine fluid 14.

In one embodiment, the sight glass 20 may have at least one remotesensing port 18 having a shape conducive to magnification. In thisinstance, the remote sensing port 18 may be provided with a convex outerface (not shown) and a convex inner face (not shown) to provide asubstantially undistorted magnification of a user's view of the machinefluid 14 in the sight glass 20.

FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of thebottom sediment and water bowl 24 in accordance with the presentdisclosure. The bottom sediment and water bowl 24 may be provided with abowl member 150 and a drain valve 152. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional viewof the bowl member 150 of the bottom sediment and water bowl 24 of FIG.8A taken along the lines 8B-8B thereof, and also a side-elevational viewof the drain valve 152 supported by the bowl member 150. FIG. 9 is across-sectional view of the bowl member 150 of the bottom sediment andwater bowl 24 of FIG. 8A taken along the lines 9-9 thereof.

The bowl member 150 may be in the form of a tube having an upper end160, and a lower end 162. The bowl member 150 may be provided with aconnector 164 located adjacent to the upper end 160, and a raisedportion 166 positioned adjacent to the connector 164 so that theconnector 164 is between the raised portion 166 and the upper end 160.The connector 164 may be provided with any configuration to connect toone of the ports 78 of the body 34. For example, the connector 164 maybe externally threaded so as to matingly engage with internal threads ofthe port 78. In another embodiment, the connector 164 may be configuredas a male part of a quick connect assembly. The raised portion 166 maybe configured to facilitate installation of the bowl member 150 onto oneof the ports 78 or other suitable device. In one embodiment, the raisedportion 166 may be configured as a hex nut.

The bowl member 150 may have a bowl portion 180, a drain port 182 and ashield portion 184. The drain port 182 may be positioned between thebowl portion 180 and the shield portion 184. The drain port 182 isprovided with an inner surface 186 that is sized and configured toreceive and support the drain valve 152. For example, the drain port 182may be provided with internal female threads. The bowl portion 180 mayextend from the connector 164 to the drain port 182 and is sized andconfigured to receive a relatively small amount of machine fluid 14 forviewing and purging from the bowl portion 180. For example, the bowlportion 180 may hold approximately 1 ounce of machine fluid 14.

The bowl portion 180 may be provided with a bottom 190. In oneembodiment, the bottom 190 may be provided with a funneled shape so asto direct the machine fluid 14 towards the drain port 182. When thebottom 190 is provided with the funneled shape, the bottom 190 purgeswater and sediments from the bowl portion 180 through the drain valve152 in a more efficient manner than conventional bottom sediment andwater bowls having a flat bottom. The funneled shape of the bottom 190also permits easy viewing of stratified sediment to aid in conditionmonitoring.

The bowl portion 180 may also be provided with at least one remotesensing port 192. Shown in FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bowlportion 180 showing one manner of making the remote sensing port 192.The bowl portion 180 may have a tubular shape and have an inner surface194 and an outer surface 196. The at least one remote sensing port 192extends between the inner surface 194 and the outer surface 196. In theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B and 9 , the bowl portion 180 hasone remote sensing port 192. Of course, it will be understood that thebowl portion 180 may have more than one remote sensing port 192, andthat the remote sensing port(s) 192 may be located in differentpositions in the bowl portion 180.

The bowl portion 180 may have a cylindrical cross-section outside of theremote sensing port 192 as shown in FIG. 9 . The remote sensing port 192may have a substantially flat outer face 198 on the outer surface 196and/or a substantially flat inner face 200 on the inner surface 194 ofthe bowl portion 180. In use, the substantially flat outer and innerfaces 198, 200 decrease distortion in comparison to the curved surfaceof the bowl portion 180. Additionally, the substantially flat outer face198 may aid a user in applying a laser and/or light device to the bowlportion 180 and machine fluid 14 inside the bowl portion 180.

The remote sensing port 192 may be composed of the same material as thesurrounding material of the bowl portion 180 and/or of one or morematerials having optical properties different than the surroundingmaterial of the bowl portion 180. For example, the material of theremote sensing port 192 may minimize distortion, minimize reflection,and/or magnify the contents of the bowl portion 180. The remote sensingport 192 may be used as a viewing window for a user to visually examinethe machine fluid 14 or other material in the bowl portion 180 with orwithout the use of an instrument, such as a camera orphoto-spectrometer. For example, the remote sensing port 192 may becomposed of material having optical properties that allow a laser topass through the remote sensing port 192 with minimal distortion andreflection. The laser may be used to measure properties of the machinefluid 14 within the bowl portion 180.

In one embodiment, the bowl portion 180 may have at least one remotesensing port 192 having a shape conducive to magnification. In thisinstance, the remote sensing port 192 may be provided with a convexouter face (not shown) and a convex inner face (not shown) to provide asubstantially undistorted magnification of a user's view of the machinefluid 14 in the bowl portion 180.

Referring again to FIG. 8A, the remote sensing port 192 may extend fromthe raised portion 166 to the bottom 190 and may have a first side 202and a second side 204 which may have a linear configuration, althoughother configurations may be used as well.

The bottom sediment and water bowl 24, may also be provided with one ormore indicator 210 suspended within the bowl portion 180 so as toprovide information with respect to one or more contaminant or propertyof the machine fluid 14. For example, the indicator 210 may be a rareearth magnet (or other type of magnet) for collecting ferrous particleswithin the machine fluid 14. In another embodiment, the indicator 210may be steel, which rusts in the presence of water. The one or moreindicator 210 may be suspended in a range from about ⅛ inch to ¾ inchabove the bottom of the bowl portion 180 depending upon the size of thebowl portion 180 and available space within the bowl portion 180. In oneembodiment the one or more indicator 210 is suspended ¼ inch above thebottom 190.

The one or more indicator 210 may be suspended with any suitableassembly and may be supported by the bowl portion 180 and/or the drainvalve 152. In the example shown, the drain valve 152 is provided with anupper tip 211, and the indicator 210 is connected to and extends fromthe upper tip 211. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the drain valve 152may be provided with a drain body 212 having external threads threadedinto the drain port 182 of the bowl member 150. The drain body 212 mayhave a flow channel (not shown) formed through a lower end thereof. Thedrain valve 152 The drain valve 152 may be connected to and support asupport member 214. The support member 214 is connected to the indicator210 and suspends the indicator 210 from the bottom 190.

The drain valve 152 may be externally threaded. As would be understoodby one skilled in the art, this type of threaded drain valve may includea spring to maintain the drain valve in a closed position, and may bemoved vertically against the force of the spring with a pair of arms 216and 218 that are rotated.

The shield portion 184 extends below the drain port 182 and extendsoutwardly and downwardly from the drain port 182 so as to preventinadvertent contact with the drain valve 152 and/or the arms 216 and 218in a lateral direction. In one embodiment, the shield portion 184 has acontinuous ring shape that defines an opening 224 that receives thedrain valve 152 and faces downward in a vertical direction. To use thedrain valve 152, a user would place their fingers within the opening224, grip the arms 216 and 218 and then move the arms 216 and 218 to adesired position.

The bowl member 150 can be constructed of a material that is highimpact, chemically resistant and transparent to light in the visibleregion. In one embodiment, the bowl member 150 is integrally formed as aunitary structure using a molding process. In this instance, theconnector 164, the raised portion 166, the remote sensing port 192, thebowl portion 180, drain port 182, and the shield portion 184 may bemolded features of the sight glass 20.

Shown in FIG. 10 is another embodiment of a bottom sediment and waterbowl 240 in accordance with the present disclosure. The bottom sedimentand water bowl 240 may be provided with a bowl member 242, a drain valve244, and an indicator 245. The bottom sediment and water bowl 240 isalso provided with a knob 246 extending external to the bowl member 242and configured to be gripped by a user to facilitate the user openingand/or closing the drain valve 244. The bowl member 242 can be identicalin construction and function as the bowl member 150 described above,except that the bowl member 242 is provided with a channel 250 (see FIG.11 ) formed within an outer surface 252 and/or an inner surface 254 of ashield portion 256 so as to engage and maintain the knob 246 on theshield portion 256. In some embodiments, the channel 250 extends in ahorizontal plane circumferentially around the shield portion 256. Inother embodiments, the channel 250 may only extend about a portion ofthe circumference of the shield portion 256.

The drain valve 244 can be identical in construction and function as thedrain valve 152. The indicator 245 can be located at and supported by anupper tip of the drain valve 244 and can be constructed in an identicalmanner as the indicator 210 discussed above.

The knob 246 is provided with a first gripping portion 260, a secondgripping portion 262, at least one connecting member 264 connecting thefirst gripping portion 260 to the second gripping portion 262, and atleast one connector 266 for connecting the knob 246 to the shieldportion 256. The first gripping portion 260 is spaced a distance awayfrom the second gripping portion 262 such that a circular channel 268extends between the first gripping portion 260 and the second grippingportion 262. The circular channel 268 is sized to receive the shieldportion 256. The first gripping portion 260 is configured to be grippedby a user, and the second gripping portion 262 is configured to grip thearms 216 and 218 of the drain valve 244. The connecting member 264rigidly connects the first gripping portion 260 to the second grippingportion 262 such that force applied to the first gripping portion 260 istranslated to the second gripping portion 262 thereby permitting a userto open or close the drain valve 244 by gripping and moving the firstgripping portion 260.

In the embodiment shown, the first gripping portion 260 includes a ring270 having a first diameter 272. The second gripping portion 262 ispositioned within the confines of the ring 270, and defines at least twochannels, e.g., a first channel 274 and a second channel 276. The firstchannel 274 is sized to receive the arm 216 and the second channel 276is sized to receive the arm 218. In one embodiment, the second grippingportion 262 includes a plurality of arcuately shaped segments 277 thatare connected to and extend from the connecting member 264. In theexample shown, four arcuately shaped segments 277 form a first segmentedring 278, and four of the arcuately shaped segments 277 form a secondsegmented ring 280. The first segmented ring 278, the second segmentedring 280 and the first gripping portion 260 can be concentricallypositioned.

The at least one connector 266 can include a plurality of connectors266. In the example shown, the knob 246 is provided with threeconnectors 266 positioned angularly equidistant on the first grippingportion 260. Although three connectors 266 are shown and describedherein, it should be understood that more or less connectors 266 can beprovided. In one embodiment, the connectors 266 are provided with abiasing member 284 and a prong 286. The biasing member 284 can beconnected to the first gripping portion 260, the second gripping portion262 or the connecting member 264. In the example shown, the biasingmember 284 is connected to the first gripping portion 260 and extendsorthogonally relative to the connecting member 264 and into the circularchannel 268. The biasing member 284 can be constructed of any suitablematerial, such as a flexible metal or plastic material. In oneembodiment, the knob 246 is a unitary structure formed of a moldedplastic material, such as polycarbonate. It should be understood that insome embodiments the knob 246 may be made of separately formed piecesthat are connected together.

The foregoing description provides illustration and description, but isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventive concepts to theprecise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of themethodologies set forth in the present disclosure.

Even though particular combinations of features are recited in theclaims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are notintended to limit the disclosure. In fact, many of these features may becombined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosedin the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below maydirectly depend on only one other claim, the disclosure includes eachdependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.

No element, act, or instruction used in the present application shouldbe construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitlydescribed as such outside of the preferred embodiment. Further, thephrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on”unless explicitly stated otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for machine fluid monitoringcomprising: a sight glass column at least partially constructed of oneor more materials that is transparent to light in a visible region, thesight glass having an open first end, an open second end, a tubularsidewall extending between the open first end and the open second end,and an inside surface and an outside surface extending from the openfirst end to the open second end and at least partially surrounding acavity within the sight glass, wherein the open first end of the sightglass is configured to be indirectly attachable to a machine via amachine connector such that machine fluid is transferable from themachine to the sight glass column; and at least one level ringcomprising a band constructed of a flexible material and extending atleast partially around the sight glass column, and a locking deviceconnected to the band, the band having a first end and a second end, theband being sized and constructed to grippingly engage the sidewall so asto permit a user to move the locking device to a first position in whichthe band may be selectively placed at a desired location on the sightglass column, and move the locking device to a second position in whichthe band is maintained at the desired location on the sight glasscolumn.
 2. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1,wherein the distance between the open first end and the open second endis between 2.54 cm (3 in.) and 45.72 cm (18 in).
 3. The apparatus formachine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein the locking device engagesthe first end and the second end of the band and serves to set thepositions of the first end relative to the second end to preventunintentional and unauthorized movement of the level ring.
 4. Theapparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein the band hasan upper edge, a lower edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface, andwherein the outer surface tapers towards the inner surface adjacent tothe upper edge and the lower edge to reduce the occurrence ofunintentional movement of the level ring when the locking device is inthe second position.
 5. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring ofclaim 1, wherein the flexible material is a polymer.
 6. The apparatusfor machine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein the flexible materialis a metal.
 7. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1,wherein the sight glass column is further constructed of one or morematerials that is impact resistant.
 8. The apparatus for machine fluidmonitoring of claim 1, wherein the sight glass column is furtherconstructed of one or more materials that minimally reacts withchemicals.
 9. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1,wherein the one or more materials is acrylic.
 10. The apparatus formachine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein the one or more materialsis glass.
 11. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1,wherein the locking device is a screw having a head engaging the firstend and a threaded shaft positioned in and engaging the second end. 12.The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 11, wherein thefirst end of the band defines a slot having a first width greater than asecond width of the threaded shaft.
 13. The apparatus for machine fluidmonitoring of claim 1, wherein the at least one level ring includes atleast a first level ring and a second level ring, the locking device ofthe first level ring being different than the locking device of thesecond level ring.
 14. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring ofclaim 13, wherein the band of the first level ring is coloreddifferently than the band of the second level ring.
 15. The apparatusfor machine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein at least a portion ofthe outside surface adjacent to the machine connector and extending fromthe open first end towards the open second end forms a first raisedportion configured to facilitate installation of the sight glass to themachine.
 16. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 15,wherein the first raised portion is configured as a hex nut to receive awrench to facilitate installation of the sight glass to the machine. 17.The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 1, wherein the opensecond end of the sight glass is configured to be indirectly attachableto a machine via a second machine connector such that machine fluid istransferable from the machine to the sight glass column.
 18. Theapparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 17, wherein at least aportion of the outside surface adjacent to the machine connector andextending from the open first end towards the open second end forms afirst raised portion configured to facilitate installation of the sightglass to the machine; and, wherein at least a portion of the outsidesurface adjacent to the second machine connector and extending from theopen second end towards the open first end forms a second raised portionconfigured to facilitate installation of the sight glass to the machine.19. The apparatus for machine fluid monitoring of claim 18, wherein anyof the first raised portion and the second raised portion are configuredas a hex nut to receive a wrench to facilitate installation of the sightglass to the machine.